Total pages in book: 157
Estimated words: 145088 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 725(@200wpm)___ 580(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145088 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 725(@200wpm)___ 580(@250wpm)___ 484(@300wpm)
“Ohh! That’s such a good idea. If we had more time, we could have made these Wolverine-style claws out of something in the junkyard and slash him with—”
Dex shut up the moment Hammer shushed him, and in the silence, they heard a car engine and some voices.
They’d deliberately taken a footpath Lion had shown Hammer on a map, to avoid run-ins with anyone, but it was obvious Ryker wasn’t on his own.
Hammer’s face twisted as he placed his index finger across his mouth and moved uphill, to a snow-capped bush they’d use for cover.
A pleasant calm came over Dex despite the earlier excitement, and he followed his man’s lead, keeping low to the ground until he too reached the top of the slope.
The cabin was only a stone's throw away, but had three cars parked in front of it, and a large pickup. A warm glow in the windows and smoke coming out of the chimney suggested that whoever was inside had a fire going.
“Let’s move closer, make sure Ryker’s in there,” Dex whispered, scooting low.
“No,” Hammer said and gestured at the elongated ridge at the top of the hill. “Let’s try to keep our distance and see if we can spot him from afar first. No unnecessary risk. That’s the first rule you need to follow, so let’s survey the situation,” He said in that low, confident tone Dex wanted him to use whenever he called Dex Prospect.
Dex groaned, itching to barge in, guns blazing. “I mean, they’re not expecting us, and probably drunk or whatever.” So maybe he was just making up what kind of activities Ryker and his friends could be up to, but waiting had never been his strong suit. Still, he followed Hammer’s lead and crept between the tree trunks, which appeared so stark and dark against the backdrop of snow.
“A drunk man can still be dangerous when he’s desperate,” Hammer said, narrowing his eyes as they moved along the slope, trying to catch a glimpse through the window. He pulled on Dex’s shoulder, forcing him into the snow when two men stepped onto the front porch, already lighting cigarettes. One had a beard and wore a plaid shirt, the other sported a T-shirt featuring runes and a Viking axe, but they were too relaxed to notice they had company.
A woman peeked out of the window with a cup in hand. Blonde, with a forgettable face, she wore a thick sweater that exposed her cleavage despite the cold.
“Shit,” Dex whispered. “Do you think it’s some fuckfest in there?”
But Hammer covered Dex’s mouth as the men on the porch started talking.
“Can you imagine they just left the van open at the back? I grabbed that full crate of grenades and was off in seconds,” the Lumberjack said to the Viking.
“Thank you, Uncle Sam!” Viking whistled and laughed, before taking a drag of smoke.
Hammer scowled. “Dividing the spoils, more like,” he muttered before sinking deep into the snow. One look at the house made Dex do the same, because the woman they’d spotted moments ago was now kissing none other than Ryker.
“We should drink with that soldier boy more often,” Lumberjack said to his friend back on the porch.
“He won’t be a soldier much longer.”
They both laughed as if they’d just made the best joke in ages, and Dex rolled his eyes.
“At least we know Ryker’s here,” he whispered to Hammer. “Maybe I could snipe him—” But as he reached to his holster, his blood ran colder than the snow already melting a bit around his knees. “Fuck. I forgot my gun.”
Hammer stared at him without a word, but while there were no ugly words thrown Dex’s way, the weight of his man’s disappointment was like a lead collar around his neck.
“Look, I’m sorry—” Dex started but Hammer cut him off, slowly moving toward the back of the cabin. The trees there were packed together, and the snow provided additional cover, but they should both remain cautious.
“Remember next time. We won’t be making our move before the other men leave anyway,” he said as Dex spotted two more figures looming inside, behind Ryker and his new girlfriend.
“I know, I know, it’s just because we were changing clothes…” The sense of failure extinguished Dex’s good mood. He should have remembered something as important as the fucking gun. “Maybe I’ll go get it in the meanwhile.”
Hammer shook his head and settled behind a short tree with a dense set of snow-covered branchlets, which offered a decent hiding spot while providing an excellent view of the roof, the back door, and even a small shed at the back of the building. “No. Stay here and watch them. Report to me when I’m back, okay?”
Dex swallowed, all too aware of what this was about. “I wouldn’t get lost…” he tried, but they both knew he sucked at navigation.